National Signing Day 2011: 10 Recruiting Classes That Will Rock the House
Today is National Signing Day. Over the next few hours, the top high school football players will announce to the media where they plan to pursue their college careers.
At the end of the day, some fans will dance. On the opposite end, I'm sure that some will drop to their knees and scream to the sky, "WHY?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!"
It's sure to be one thriller of a day in the sports world, so let's get down to business. Some schools have lost key players to the draft already, yet they've made up for that in signing key recruits. Some schools have kept key players, but still brought in new talent to make the team better.
That being said, these are 10 schools that up to and including this day, have had the best recruiting classes. Ready? BREAK!
No. 10: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
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2010 was a good year for the Irish as first-year head coach Brian Kelly guided the team to an 8-5 record and its first bowl victory since 1993. In just one season, he had turned the recently poor and underachieving Notre Dame program into a seeming contender. As a result, prospects seem to be more willing to take their talents to South Bend.
Notre Dame's top signing is Aaron Lynch, a 6'5" defensive end from Cape Coral, FL. Kelly is primarily a defensive coach, and the young Lynch will give him a dangerous pass-rusher on the front line. He's a little undersized at just 250 pounds, but he's got plenty of time to bulk up. Also interesting to point out, he turned down programs including the Florida Gators and the LSU Tigers to join the Irish!
Joining Lynch on defense will be Ishaq Williams, a defensive end out of Brooklyn, NY's famed Lincoln High School. Williams also has great size at 6'5", but is extremely undersized at a mere 225 pounds. Still, according to scouts, he has great hands and a frame ideal for bulking up in a college weight program. If he lives up to promise, I wouldn't be surprised if Coach Kelly moved him to linebacker and utilized these talents in coverage.
With these two young defensive studs and senior quarterback Dayne Crist coming back from a knee injury (although Tommy Rees may also see time), expect the Irish to further improve on their 2010 season!
No. 9: Georgia Bulldogs
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Since Matthew Stafford left for the NFL, the University of Georgia football team has been lacking something at the quarterback position. This year, they may have found their answer.
Christian LeMay was a star at Butler High School in his hometown of Mint Hill, NC, but he committed to the Bulldogs last year! He announced that he would complete his senior year from home so he could spend most of his time focusing on getting in playing shape.
Size-wise, LeMay is fairly average. He stands at 6'2" and only weighs 195 pounds, but there's no doubt that he'll add onto what scouts call a "lean, but strong" build. He gives head coach Mark Richt an accurate pocket passer with decent footwork, and someone with tremendous willingness to learn and be coached.
With new lockdown defensive end Ray Drew helping the team on the other side of the ball, expect the Bulldogs to be a force to be reckoned with in the SEC
No. 8: LSU Tigers
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It seems that every offseason, rumors swirl that Les Miles might step down as LSU's head coach and take a job elsewhere. It wasn't any different this year as he was a top candidate for the head coaching job at Michigan. Still, he chose to remain with the Tigers and signed a seven-year extension.
Last year, LSU finished 11-2, with a 6-2 record in an SEC dominated by Auburn. With the other Tigers possibly rebuilding next season, this could be LSU's time once again. Why? They have signed the No. 1 defensive tackle in the nation, Anthony Johnson.
Simply put, Johnson is a tackle that gives Les Miles what he lost in Glenn Dorsey a few years ago. At 6'3" and 300 pounds, he has amazing speed and tremendous ability to penetrate offensive lines. Look for him to be a factor on LSU's front line and pass rush in the next couple of years.
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No. 7: Auburn Tigers
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Fresh off of only the second national championship in the school's history, Auburn is out to make a statement. After defeating Oregon in this year's BCS National Championship, Tigers coach Gene Chizik said it was "time to go back to work."
What Chizik meant was, "Time to show our critics that we can win without Cam Newton and Nick Fairley."
I don't know about the rest of you, but I think that Chizik has done his job, recruiting-wise. Most recently, he lured Christian Westerman (pictured at left) away from a verbal commitment to the Texas Longhorns. For those of you who don't know, Westerman is considered the No. 2 offensive tackle in the country. After watching footage of him play at Hamilton High School in Chandler, Arizona, I can understand why.
For his age, Westerman has great size (6'4", 290) and has been called the type of run blocker who "knocks defensive linemen back where they came from." With the possibility of fellow freshman Kiehl Frazier starting at quarterback, Westerman has the potential to provide great protection. Keep an eye out for these two as the Tigers look to repeat!
No. 6: Ohio State Buckeyes
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With top quarterback Terrelle Pryor returning for his senior season (albeit suspended for the first five games), there is no doubt in my mind that Ohio State will contend for a BCS bid next season. Why? Because they may have found a great talent to put in their secondary.
From Akron, Ohio's St. Vincent-St. Mary High School (of LeBron James fame), Doran Grant does not look like an elite corner at first glance. With a slight frame of 5'11" and 177 pounds, he lacks the size necessary to deliver devastating tackles in coverage. Still, scouts are pretty high on him.
If he follows through on his verbal commitment to the Buckeyes, Grant will give Jim Tressel a corner with not only amazing speed, but incredible athleticism. Scouts say that Grant's vertical game is among the best in the nation and that once he concentrates on the "nuances of the position", he will be one of the elite.
Along with defensive end Steve Miller, the Buckeyes have had a very good recruiting season and there is no doubt in my mind that they will be a factor in the Big Ten for years to come.
No. 5: Florida Gators
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Let's be honest, folks. 2010 was an off year for the Gators. They had just lost Tim Tebow to the NFL, and their quarterback situation left something to be desired. On top of that, Urban Meyer abruptly resigned in December.
After hiring Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp to take over for Meyer, the Gators have impressed the college football world in signing Jeff Driskel (pictured at left).
This young man from Oviedo, FL is considered the No. 1 quarterback by ESPN. He has great size at 6'4" and 224 pounds, and has every coach's dream in a strong and accurate throwing arm. On top of all that, he can run! Sounds perfect considering recent Florida quarterbacks.
Driskel is also a fine baseball player, but he has said he will put that on hold to pursue his football dreams. Look for Muschamp to have a great first season as the Gators' head coach, thanks to this young gentleman!
No 4: Alabama Crimson Tide
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This season, many Tide fans groaned when Heisman-winning running back Mark Ingram announced his plans to enter the NFL Draft. The stalwart of the team's offense was leaving, so how could they even compete in a tough SEC in 2011? Coach Nick Saban has put those fears to rest with his recruiting.
Demetrius Hart is a tough young runner from Orlando's Dr. Phillips High School. Back in October, he had said he would play his college ball at Michigan. Since then, he has changed his mind and verbally committed to Alabama.
If he does follow through on that statement, Hart will give Saban's offense the explosive runner they have lost in Ingram. At 5'8" and 190 pounds, he has the potential to develop into a classic power back and maybe more. In the U.S. Army All-American game, he ran for 100 yards on only eight carries! That's true potential right there.
With big wide receiver Marvin Shinn (Vigor High School, Prichard, AL) improving the team's passing offense, look for the Tide to make a statement in the SEC as they try to win yet another title!
No. 3: USC Trojans
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Two years ago, I didn't have one good thing to say about Lane Kiffin. He had ticked off the University of Tennessee's administration (not to mention their fans), in a resignation that showed very little tact. Long story short, he came off to me as very unprofessional and I had zero respect for him. After his recruiting this year with USC, he's forcing me to reconsider.
This year, Kiffin has further fueled the quarterback controversy at USC by signing Max Wittek, considered to be the No. 3 quarterback in the nation. Now, while Wittek doesn't have a particularly strong arm, he is considered to be one of the most accurate passers available. In Kiffin's West-Coast offense, he's sure to flourish.
Plus, he was high school teammates with the current Trojans starting QB, Matt Barkley. That connection alone will help his development. Combine the Wittek signing with the verbal commitment of No. 1 wide receiver George Farmer (pictured at left), and USC will for sure be a team to watch this coming season.
No. 2: Texas Longhorns
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If there's one thing Longhorns quarterback Garrett Gilbert needs, it's a top running back to help him. This season, he should have one as head coach Mack Brown has flashed the recruiting skills once again. How? He has signed No. 2 running back Malcolm Brown (pictured at left) out of Byron M. Steele High School in Cibolo, TX.
Malcom Brown has great size for his position despite never taking part in a college weight program. At 6'0", 215 pounds, he already has the build of an elite back. Long story short, he's just what the Longhorns need.
As we all know, Texans love their football. It's practically a religion for them. That being said, I'm sure they're still hurting from their loss to Alabama two years ago in the BCS National Championship. With Gilbert's skills improving and the younger Brown taking some of the load off of the young quarterback, I expect the Longhorns' moves to pay off tremendously in 2011.
No 1: Florida State Seminoles
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I'll be honest, folks. I don't know much about college football but when Bobby Bowden retired as Florida State's head coach, I wasn't optimistic about the program's future. Bowden is a legend, and Jimbo Fisher was an unknown at the time. Did he have what it took to lead the program back to glory?
In 2010, Fisher proved to be the real thing. The Seminoles finished 10-4 (6-2 in the ACC) and won their bowl game! Fisher further impressed people with his recruiting class this year.
His biggest signing is safety Karlos Williams, who already has great size and potential. One scout made a simple comment about the young man from Davenport, FL: "covers like a DB, hits like a linebacker."
Needless to say, Williams is a great pickup for a program needing help in the secondary. On top of him, Fisher signed two other great safeties in Keelin Smith and Lamarcus Brutus (who easily wins my "Recruit with the Coolest Name" Award). These signings are the reason FSU has the No. 1 ranked recruiting class not only on ESPN and Scout, but also on my countdown.
For more National Signing Day Coverage at Bleacher Report, go to
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/591689-national-signing-day-2011-tracking-where-the-top-100-recruits-sign
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